


In Their Shadows

by tinycrown



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, arator will always be a romantically awkward biss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinycrown/pseuds/tinycrown
Summary: Comforting a friend is a start.
Relationships: Arator the Redeemer/Anduin Wrynn
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	In Their Shadows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarMagister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarMagister/gifts).



“It must have been hard for you,” Anduin stated quietly, “not knowing if they’d ever come home.” 

Arator’s gaze flickered upward, toward the king that stood, melancholic, staring out across a city that mourned and cried for vengeance. He looked defeated, the tips of his fingers poking out from his arms. He held himself, to keep himself strong, to hold himself together. Arator knew the feeling well, to keep yourself from breaking apart in such a dire time. He'd done it too many times. 

But times weren’t so dire anymore. They had a brief moment of respite before the Horde would drum something up, and they’d be thrown into the thralls of war once again. 

“But…” Anduin turned his head toward him, the quiver of his lips were visible even from so far away. “When you came back, you looked happier than I’d ever seen you before,” he turned back toward the window, staring at himself more than anything in the reflection of the moons. “I was so glad.” A light sniff, a quick flash of hands moving. Arator moved from where he was resting and stopped a few steps before reaching his friend. 

“I looked for them for as long as I could,” he mumbled, fingers twitching as he ached to reach forward and  _ make  _ the shaking stop. “I never lost sight of what I stood for. I wanted to be strong, like my father. I… and I wanted to be brave, like my mother.” Anduin wiped at his face quickly again, looking at him through their reflections in the glass. 

He placed a tentative hand on Anduin’s shoulder, and he bowed his head. He was nodding frantically to agree or acknowledge something as if that would distract him from the obvious shake in his shoulders, his stuttered breaths. 

“I tried to  _ be  _ what they were supposed to be… and it brought me nothing but pain,” slowly, he turned his friend, holding him there at the elbow. He looked into his glassy blue eyes and offered a half-smile, hoping it would help alleviate some of the distress. “You don’t  _ need _ to be like your father to be a good king.” Anduin looked down again to hide his tears, but Arator reached out to grasp his chin, and slid his hand along his jaw, wiping his tears away with his thumb as they fell. 

“Did… did you ever think,” he sniffed, leaning into Arator’s calloused palm, “that… maybe you  _ wouldn’t  _ ever see them again?” Arator’s brows furrowed, and he sighed. 

“I did… and it made it so much harder to accept anything that would change me… I thought that I needed to be the beacon of hope that my parents were… so I always thought about what  _ they  _ would do… and not what I would do.” He tugged Anduin close as he seemed to break again, and pressed his cheek against his silky golden hair. 

“But how can I  _ be _ anyone else other than him?” Arator wrapped his arms tight around his waist and sighed, feeling Anduin’s short nails dig into his back. 

“You are your own man. You are not your father… let his actions  _ guide  _ you, not change you.” He felt his shirt dampen as he tightened his grip around the younger man, rubbing his back. 

“I’m glad Turalyon decided for us to meet… it has been better, with the few friends that I have,” Anduin pulled away slightly, “I have enjoyed your companionship greatly, Arator.” He wiped away the tears from his irritated eyes. 

“I have enjoyed yours as well…” he trailed off, blushing when he realized he hadn’t quite let go of the young king yet. “Uh… sorry.” He said lamely, beginning to pull away. Anduin chuckled and shook his head, hugging the half-elf again. 

“It’s fine,” He whispered close to his ear, “thank you.” He leaned upward on his toes and pressed a long kiss to his cheek. Arator nearly sputtered. 

“You’re welcome.” He said quietly, hoping the king couldn’t feel the full-body blush that had overtaken him awkwardly. 

**Author's Note:**

> this is my rarepair  
> eat it biss


End file.
